Probiotic study in pigs may benefit humans

Irish scientists report that a combination of five
probiotic strains may reduce food poisoning by salmonella, if results of their
pig study can be translated to humans.

The new research divided 15 weaned pigs and fed them
milk supplemented with a mixture of five Lactobacillus probiotic strains (two
strains of Lactobacillus murinus and one strain each of Lactobacillus
salivarius, Lactosalivarius subsp. salivarius, Lactobacillus pentosus, and
Pediococcus pentosaceous), or placebo (regular milk) for 30 days.
After six days of the probiotics, the pigs were given an
oral dose of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The health and
microbiology of the faeces were monitored for 23 days.

Study resultsThe pigs
receiving probiotics showed reduced incidence, severity, and duration of
diarrhoea as well as significantly lower numbers of Salmonella in faecal samples
15 days post-infection, reported the researchers from University College Cork.
The probiotic milk group also gained more weight than the control pigs, they
said.

Although the potential of the probiotic strains are there, further
research is needed, particularly on whether similar positive results are
obtainable in human subjects.